Telugu Jathi ki Vandanam: NTR@100

Vijayawada: A new festival has been added to the list of celebrations to be observed by a small sleepy village in Krishna district which had not only produced a star but also a legendary politician called Nandamuri Taraka Rama Rao.

The celebrations of this new festival will last till May 28, 2023 when the centenary celebrations of NTRwill conclude. When NTR was born a 100 years ago this village would have never thought he would become a Telugu icon and onewho would fight for the Telugu pride and establish it. People of this village would have never imagined that NTR would earn the image of 'Viswavikhyata Nata Sarva Bhauma', (Emperor of acting who is popular across the globe).

His speeches as a politician were so powerful that they have the same power to stir the emotions of the people. As a politician he used to start his speech saying "Telugu Jathi ki Vandanam, Telugu Yuvata ki Abhinandanam, Telugu Mamata ki Abhivadam," touching the emotional chords of all sections. People of this village cherish the memories of having seen him grow from a neighbourhood young boy adopted by Ramaiah, elder brother of NTR's father Lakshmaiah as they had lost two kids soon after they were born. Recalling the past, the octogenarian cousin of NTR N Mallikarjun Raosaid that NTR was entirely a different person right from his childhood days.There was some royalty in him right from a young age. He used to go to schoolsitting on the shoulders of his adopted father Ramaiah. Not just that he was a down-to-earth village boy who loved cattle, worked in the cattle shed and farm fields. He was an epitome of devotion and used to get fully involved in any work he did.

Though he moved over to Madras, he never lost connection with his village. The traditional village style house which was in a dilapidated condition was reconstructed by his son Harikrishna. An associate of NTR's family Kamalamma and her son are now taking care of the house and the agricultural lands of the Nandamuri family.